1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, system, method, and the like utilizing, e.g., a digital radio communication technique and, more particularly, to a control apparatus and controlled apparatus for preventing a communication failure and realizing accurate remote control even in a situation in which pairs of control apparatuses and controlled apparatuses simultaneously use the same frequency, and a remote control system and remote control method using these apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various techniques have conventionally been developed for a remote control system comprised of a control apparatus and controlled apparatus. For descriptive convenience, a control apparatus including building components such as an operation input unit and output unit will be called a “propo”. A controlled apparatus including building components such as a driving system and sensor will be called a “robot”. In this case, the concept “robot” includes a model car, airplane, and the like.
Generally in existing techniques, the number of available frequencies is defined by law. The same frequency can be technically used by only one pair of a propo and robot at the same time. These days, tournaments in which robots are driven and controlled by radio communication using propos and have a match under predetermined rules are held in various places.
For example, in a radio control section in a so-called robot sumo tournament, a robot is driven and controlled from a remote place by radio communication using a propo. In radio control, an instruction by the operator must be accurately transmitted to the robot via the propo. For this purpose, a communication failure between the propo and the robot must be prevented during the match.
As a method of preventing a communication failure, there are proposed a method of storing and managing a propo by the governing body of the tournament and a method of managing available frequencies.
Of these methods, according to the latter method of managing available frequencies, a quartz crystal (to be referred to as a crystal hereinafter) for a channel used by a propo and robot is lent every match, and returned after the match.
In the former method of storing and managing a propo by the governing body of the tournament, if the governing body stores a propo but a contestant possesses and operates a spare propo, the propo may inhibit communication, affecting the match.
In the latter method of managing available frequencies, crystals incorporated in a propo and robot must be frequently inserted and removed every match. The crystals may cause a contact failure at communication contacts inside the propo and robot. The contact failure may lead to a communication failure during the match.
As described above, only storage/management of a propo or management of available frequencies, which have been adopted in the prior art, cannot satisfactorily prevent a communication failure.
For future team competitions, robots corresponding to propos must be controlled using many propos without any confusion.
For this purpose, communication channels must be ensured for at least the number of robots which participate in a match. However, the number of available frequencies is defined by law, and simultaneous use in the same frequency band is also limited to several pairs of propos and robots which are commercially available at present.